“Get in formation! Don’t look, perceive and respond with your instincts!”

“But Captain, even if we close our eyes…!”

The allure of the succubus ultimately spread malignant information. Just as the mad wizard had created pheromones that only affected them, Yuri Lanster was also dispersing sensuality that seeped in even with their eyes closed.

“You are chasing pleasure and enjoyment in place of virtue; how could you possibly turn your gaze away from me?”

Not even a proper paladin.

It gradually builds up. Emotions that had not existed in their hearts begin to ripple and overflow.

—

Though it could not compare to the ability of the Succubus Queen, who enslaved the annihilation squad merely by her presence, it was more than enough.

Yuri Lanster snapped her fingers.

“『Black: The Dispersal of True Desires』.”

“Ugh, Khaaa?!”

“W-What just happened? Is this a transformation ability?!”

Boom──!!

Those with fragile mental barriers, whose emotions piled up quickly, screamed as they were caught in the sudden explosion erupting from within. Black smoke billowed from their noses and mouths.

If one did not possess a powerful mental barrier like a mad sorcerer, it would eventually burst. She could annihilate the paladins just by standing still.

It was as if a time bomb necklace had been activated. The paladins realized this fact and made their decision. They charged at Yuri Lanster to kill her.

Thirty men surrounded a single woman and rushed in.

“If we delay, it will explode. We have to kill her before that!”

“I wouldn’t say that’s a wise judgment. What Mima was concerned about wasn’t whether I would fall to you… but whether I would slip through your fingers.”

Hands and feet.

Choosing not to use her race’s powers, she opted for a primal martial art that struck her enemies with her limbs. Even if she used the power of a succubus, her training still remained.

Swish, Bam!

She deflected a swinging sword with the back of her hand and landed a blow to the chin.

Lowering her stance almost to the ground, she tripped one of them, then delivered a spinning kick to the head as she rose. She flipped her body in mid-air to dodge a spear thrust.

Clang──!

Wrapping a chain around one paladin, she bound him tightly, using him as a human shield to absorb a strike from a great sword in just three seconds.

The paladins couldn’t even scratch her, and she had already taken down three. Yuri Lanster whispered quietly.

“As long as you focus on me, it means I could win even if I fought thirty times in succession.”

Boom, Boom──!!

“Ugh…!”

Emotions were still surging. It was about to burst. Among the paladins, victims were emerging one after another. They needed to capture that succubus and end the fight quickly…

“Come forth.”

“………”

However, it seemed impossible to catch the wildly rampaging wolf. The paladins sensed defeat at the very beginning of the battle.

——–

“…Is that the Holy Sword?”

“Uh, it’s radiating so much power. With divine energy!”

—

Let me know if you need any further assistance!

The holy sword was deeply embedded in the rock, casting a chilling light around it. The surroundings were a mess. The ground was charred black, melted by the fallen “Divine Punishment.”

The rock where the sword was lodged appeared intact; could it also be functioning as part of the holy sword? Perhaps it served a role similar to that of a storage vault.

Crackle, crackle!

The holy sword seemed to be brimming with poison, ready to turn anyone who dared to touch it into a sacred fry.

So, I need to make contact with that…

“Akshin-chan.”

“What?”

“I need to pluck some of your fur. Produce scales.”

“Am I a chicken…?”

Akshin-chan said this in disbelief, but knowing the gravity of the situation, he obediently allowed me to pluck a scale. I embedded that scale into the foreheads of the red-flavored puppets.

“……..”

With this, the biological lightning rod was complete. Each time things got precarious, I would sacrifice these little ones to draw the goddess’s attention.

“The Three Dogs Protecting the Goddess!”

“『……..』.”

Tara and Niore were also ready. A golden shield appeared, spreading out in the air like an umbrella, overlaid with a black membrane.

And Yuna…

“Beyond the boundary, where human dreams finally give rise to the idea, from that infinite place, I seek to draw forth something I desire. I ask again upon the mirror’s surface. Is it there? Truly, is it there?”

Amidst the raging storm of magical power, she was preparing an extraordinarily long incantation.

It was a chant I had never heard before. The way the magical energy moved and arranged itself within her was distinctly unusual. Could it be a new school of magic I was unaware of?

Perhaps it was the half of the purple magic tower that was said to have vanished. Maybe it was summoning magic.

Bennett drew the “Hohwan” and prepared.

As I approached the holy sword, I made one last request.

“Everyone, hold on as long as you can and then retreat. Don’t be stubborn and get fried by the divine power. Life is precious. Except for the red flavor.”

“…….. Please.”

Feeling the atmosphere was too heavy, I decided to lighten it up with a boastful joke.

“Once I save the city, you all have to print a large portrait of me and hang it up. I want to be treated like a hero. It would be great if you could offer me treasures and delicacies too.”

“……..”

Bennett looked at me with a very sympathetic gaze. Yes, this kind of feeling is more comfortable than being unnecessarily solemn. I took a deep breath and brought my hand to the holy sword…

I grasped it.

────.

I regained consciousness.

Have you ever experienced general anesthesia? Just now, it felt exactly like that. I had lost awareness, my consciousness had slipped away. How much time has passed?

According to the time-check module, I had been unconscious for just over a second. My consciousness was restored by the emergency-consciousness-reboot module, and divine power was currently infiltrating my body.

It’s quite intense.

This is a reverse-hack by the goddess. The rough divine energy crackled like lightning, scanning my body as it tore through me. Everything below my neck had already been breached, and the divine energy was about to rise above my neck.

Is this how those trying to draw the holy sword are searched? I could understand why the candidates of the cardinal faction were being grilled so thoroughly. After going through such a process, it was only natural that the demon lord’s essence would be discovered.

I cannot end up in the same situation.

I leave the defense to the module. I trust in the cunning of my mental barrier. In truth, I had no other options. If I tried to push through with sheer strength, I would ultimately lose.

The only way out is to complete the hack before the goddess reads my entire being.

“If you are there, look at me. As I gaze at you beyond the mirror, you too should gaze at me. Let our hands overlap, for the time when we will ultimately save each other.”

I focus, using the calm chant of the Tower of Magic as white noise.

Crack.

I grip the hilt of the holy sword with enough force to turn my skin pale. I can feel the presence of the wide conduit connecting to that distant sky. As I predicted, the holy sword was indeed the goddess’s terminal.

Let’s hack. I sharply throw out the information.

With a spacious and comfortable path opened, just a little infusion of magical power propels me forward. I have already reached the ‘surface’ of the goddess.

Compared to what I had reverse-engineered from the ‘divine punishment,’ the difference is like a back alley versus a high-speed lane.

I gnaw at the surface and delve inside. Like roots spreading out, I meticulously branch out in various directions. I need to explore widely.

I must find the part that controls the ‘administrator purification stage’ from that overwhelmingly large goddess.

At that moment.

My hair stood on end, and my skin tingled intensely. I distinctly heard the sound of a trumpet resonating from within the goddess.

[Warning: Unauthorized access from the outside has been detected.]

[Warning: Initiating Level 1 interception.]

From noble mtl dot come

Click, click, click.

“…It’s coming!”

Kwaaah──!!

A waterfall of light poured down over my head as if it were a baptism. The waterfall split left and right, blocked by the umbrellas of Tara and Niore. I stood inside the curtain made of light.

It was a romantic phrase, but thinking of the heat contained in that beautiful light made me dizzy.

Several streams of the ‘divine punishment’ were dispersed and embedded in the puppet of the red-flavored duke. It was gradually dispersing its power. I think it was a good decision to bring it along.

Creak.

A sinister sound came from the shield covering my head. It felt like it would shatter in a few seconds. No, I shouldn’t panic. I must believe. I must believe that it will hold from the outside.

At that moment, Tara’s voice, grinding outside, could be heard.

“If this is ‘Divine Punishment,’ then the goddess could be this furious…?”

It seemed that while she had turned a blind eye when her own parents died, in this situation, the goddess who was delivering ‘Divine Punishment’ appeared to be despicable.

A shadow, presumed to be Tara, flickered beyond the curtain of light, gripping what looked like a long shadow of a cursed sword, coming this way…?

Whoosh──!

I was startled by the blade that had sprouted in front of me and almost screamed. The tip of the sword stopped about 30 centimeters from my nose.

From the cursed sword, the thorny branches of ‘Regret’s Limit’ began to sprout.

“If you’re going to be indifferent, then you should be indifferent to the end──!!”

Tara started to absorb the goddess’s ‘Divine Punishment.’ And the divine power she gathered was directly converted into holy magic to increase the strength of the shield.

The balance was perfectly aligned. The eerie sound still continued, sending chills down my spine, but the recovery speed was greater than the rate at which the shield was breaking.

I continued hacking…

The records of the goddess’s teachings spanning hundreds of years? I can skip that. It’s unnecessary information.

Map data recording the locations of the scattered elixirs and potions around the world? I’m a bit tempted, but there’s no resource to use here.

Modeling of the physical data of past saintesses? No, don’t waver. Really. No matter how fiery the past saintess’s attire was…!

[Warning: Initiating Level 2 Interception.]

Still.

In an instant, the center of the shield caved in. The thickness of the pillar of light remained the same, but its density increased more than threefold. The surge of light was blinding.

The thorny vines of ‘Regret’s Limit’ couldn’t keep up with the absorption and burned away.

At that moment, Bennett stepped forward.

“I hoped to protect you. That feeling hasn’t changed even now… I think I know what I need to do.”

‘Guardian,’ a sword that does not break as long as the heart is unyielding, began to change.

As the blade emitted a soft light, its unbreakable quality began to spread. It infused into the shield and into Tara’s fable.

The holy shield was terribly warped, yet it still did not break, precariously holding its form. Its durability was being substituted by Bennett’s heart.

“Even if you are a god── you cannot break my heart!”

It’s reassuring. How did they grow up so well? I feel so proud.

I continued hacking…

Breaking through the goddess’s resistance. When I raised the shield, it would divert, when I hid it, it would find me, constantly shooting arrows like a cunning hunter.

The origins of Crown Hall and the secrets of royal bloodlines. I give up.

Active countermeasures against beings that gain power through cognition. It’s a pity. I give up.

Regarding enemies whose names cannot be revealed. Damn it, I give up. I’ll save it for later.

And finally, I reached the Goddess’s “Judgment Organ.”

Immediately, there was a reaction.

[Warning: Initiating Level 3 Interception.]

For a moment, the beams of light subsided. And then.

The sun rose.

In the false daylight, there should have been no sun, but at last, the sun appeared. It seemed to be preparing to strike with that sun. Just a little more to go…

“Beyond the mirror, there is a mysterious and colossal creature resembling a turtle that guards the north. Come forth from the illusion, ‘Hyunmu (玄武).'”

…Yuna’s incantation has ended!

Thud. Thud.

A gigantic turtle, large enough to cover a building, stepped forth from the rift in the air. With each step, the ground trembled.

Was it possible to summon something like that?

Yuna called it Hyunmu, but its appearance was ambiguous. It seemed to have features of an eagle and a hippopotamus mixed in here and there.

It felt as if a guest had ordered a cheeseburger, and they somehow presented it with nonexistent ingredients.

In addition to that, Yuna said.

“Burnt Offering Sublimation – ‘Fantasy Realm: Opening the Door.'”

Thud thud thud──!

A new line appeared in the rift opened in the air.

Behind the Hyunmu, a cross-shaped rift emerged. It covered the entire surrounding space, blurring the boundaries between illusion and reality.

The once ambiguous Hyunmu finally took on the form resembling both a snake and a turtle, just as in the stories of my hometown.

As if waiting, the sun descended.

The clash of the purple Matarju and the goddess, I could not recognize that scene. Because just before that, I had succeeded in breaking through the Goddess’s “Judgment Organ”… And then.

My consciousness was sucked into the interior of the goddess.

——–

It is an indescribable space. A dark place where a blue line sways, and fragments of information float in a tank. It resembled the universe, and it also resembled the inside of a closet.

The will of the goddess was directly conveyed to my mind.

[Judgment: Similar to ‘an entity whose name cannot be revealed,’ but a clear difference was detected. Classified as follows according to the human personality type chart.]

[Output: ‘Malicious, but the person is kind.’]

“………”

Did it recognize the difference? Or…

I have never driven someone to ruin under the influence of ‘that.’ Since there are no previous crimes, is it not punishing me?

It is not hostility. This is good enough.

“What is your name?”

[Response: The name of this device is the World Stabilization Organization.]

Communication is possible. It’s a bit different from what I had imagined… but in any case, the opportunity has come. An opportunity to change the goddess’s mind.

I asked why she wanted to erase the city.

The goddess explained the reason in detail. She is a device created to make the world a better place, and as civilization progresses, it was designed to allow for the ‘gods’ to change.

However, all three administrators were failing in their roles.

[Record: Damage caused by the evil dragon.]

The goddess’s adversary, a being she deems the most dangerous. Because traces of ‘it’ have been detected. Fearing that it might twist the ‘goddess’ itself by exploiting security vulnerabilities, she chose to erase it.

I gently persuaded her.

“Isn’t that too extreme? The statistics seem wrong, or the weights might have been miscalculated. If you blow up a city… that many innocent people will die.”

[Response: There was no indication of improvement. The order has decayed, and the existing citizens have become accustomed to the corrupt order. If corruption is expected to deepen, it is safer to excise everything.]

“A group where self-purification does not occur rots. But look, the ‘Reformists’ have emerged, and Bennett is working hard on the ground. The order was improving. The disturbances were… just growing pains.”

[Response: I have verified the information. However, it is still dangerous.]

It seems that the evil dragon = ‘it’.

What on earth has ‘it’ done to warrant such vigilance? In any case, it is not very helpful in my life.

Yet, even this great goddess had ‘desires’. Then, it might be possible to persuade her. I mean, this machine seems to be for the benefit of humanity.

“You have serious errors. You are partially broken.”

[Response: I agree.]

“But the core value has not been compromised. You want humanity to move to the next step. And by the way… I have data. Stories from a world without gods and magic.”

[-.]

Information about the tumultuous history unfolded on Earth. There were no gods or magic there, but there was a fierce desire to make the world a better place.

I suggested that this might greatly help you in caring for humanity in the future.

I proposed a deal.

[Question: What are your demands?]

“Lower the level of punishment a bit. Don’t kill innocent people; just punish those who have done wrong. Strip the divine power from the scoundrels and just wait a little while for us to correct and cleanse the order.”

[Error: This device must adhere to regulations. The request conflicts with 337 regulations.]

Since it has decided to operate like a machine for humanity, it cannot violate its fundamental principles. Even the evil laws arbitrarily piled up by the cardinals cannot be cut away at will.

[Therefore.]

The goddess presented an alternative solution, ensuring that her core principles were not compromised.

[1. All ‘hero candidates’ participating in the Hero Selection Tournament will be exiled to random coordinates on the continent. This also includes some who were indirectly involved in the tournament.]

[2. The isolation of the holy city of Trumpet Hall will be maintained for a certain period.]

It meant that all the troublemakers would be driven out, and I would wait for the so-called ‘self-purification’ to occur. I understood and made the deal.

It was because of the first clause.

Bennett, the Great Warrior of the Northern Archduke, Sissel, people like them would be shot out somewhere on the continent, but…

Since they acknowledged indirect involvement. At the same time, I, the Duke of Red Flavor, and the old Cardinal would also be expelled.

However, those who had no involvement at all. Even if they did, those so weak and ambiguous that the goddess wouldn’t even put them on the list would remain in the city.

For example, Yuna, Yuri.

And the members of the ‘Reformist’ faction who had been coasting through all the operations while I led the ‘Hero Selection Tournament.’

All the enemies would be driven out, and the core of our forces would remain. Then, it wouldn’t be a dream to quickly seize the church and stand tall as the center of power.

[Response: The promise has been made.]

Good. Somehow this time… it worked.

[Warning: ‘Forced Exile’ will be executed on the following individuals: Sissel Yurensto, Anpir, Bennett Hilton, Sol Renus, Ulvain…]

Random coordinate expulsion.

This is also fine. I was confident that I could survive no matter where I was shot off to, even if it was some remote mountain village. Who am I? A powerful illusion magician who even defeated the legendary Huwa.

It was just that I would briefly experience what the Evil God had gone through.

I would have an unintended vacation. Once I landed anywhere, I would rush to the nearby magic tower and send a message to Yuna saying I was doing well.

All I had to do was leisurely return to the academy. By then, the ‘Reformist’ faction would have devoured the entire church, and they would have chosen a new saint and hero to live well.

[Warning: Karen, Spike, K of the Blade Art, Monshel, Elder Swordsman Soyon…]

“………?”

Wait a minute.

That’s all me.

——–

I blinked.

When I opened my eyes, I was lying with my head on Yuna’s lap.

“………I, I’m awake.”

“Emergency—!!”

“Ueeeh…?!”

This was not the time. The old AI empty can goddess had messed up the individual counts of my disguise identities. A chill ran down my spine, and my tongue felt dry.

Target designation…

If the target of “forced exile” is designated multiple times for one person.

This is the hopeful side. I’ll be teleported about thirty times. Then it will end with severe motion sickness, a bit of nausea, and a few days of recovery.

But the despairing side is.

“⋯⋯Hwaaah!!”

“What, what is it?! W-why, suddenly, huh?! Your body is shining in multiple pieces…!!”

Right.

I’m being torn into several pieces and scattered everywhere.

Should I marvel at my talent that even deceives the goddess, or should I blame the goddess’s incompetence for not grasping this and trying to send me to the 30th dimension…?

Everything was going so well, why at the very end!

I quickly scanned my surroundings and checked that Yuna’s sublimation was still holding. This is it. With this, I can survive.

“Listen carefully. Master of the Magic Tower, no, Yuna!”

“U-uhm!”

“I’m going to be torn into dozens of pieces and scattered across the entire continent, so don’t be surprised… .”

“How can I not be surprised?!”

Yuna turned pale at the shocking news. I gently squeezed her cheek, comforting her while also soothing my own heart.

“I’m not dying, so please find me! Gather all the mini crazy wizards and assemble them! I believe in you, Master of the Magic Tower!”

“W-what on earth happened, and what are you trying to do?!”

“Race change!”

Right.

There’s a way to not die even when torn into dozens of pieces. I’ll turn my body into information. Like the succubi, I’ll become an information life form and aim for survival…!

With Yuna’s sublimation blurring the line between fantasy and reality, it’s possible. I can do this. I urgently began to replace everything that makes up my body with data.

Flash, flash──!

The flickering light from my body intensified, warning that “forced exile” would soon activate. A quick glance revealed that even Bennett was shocked and flipping out.

I quickly spat out words.

“Hero, exile them all! Even the Cardinal faction! Random teleport across the continent! The holy city is a wasteland! Let’s take it over with the reformists!”

“What on earth happened…?!”

“Really, I’m not dying, so don’t worry, and don’t abandon me like the evil god! Find me! I love you, Yuna, and I love you, Yuri! See you later!”

“Huh…!!”

Confused about whether this is a death flag or not, Yuna’s expression was a mix of wanting to cheer and faint.

And with that, I became a crazy wizard torn into dozens of pieces, scattering across the continent.

——–

What on earth has happened?

Along with the large-scale disappearance incident, after the dozens of fragments of light scattered across the sky, Yuna stood there, dazed and in shock.

It wasn’t that she was troubled by the thought that he might be dead. If he had left a will, it would have felt more pathetic. Since he said he wasn’t dead, he must be alive.

She had a rough idea of what judgment he had made. Having seen the information of the body with her own eyes, truly, if she gathered the scattered pieces, they could be reassembled.

But that wasn’t the problem.

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

From noble mtl dot come

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

In the place where he had vanished.

A remarkably younger── a boy named Mima, shrunk to half his height, was sitting there. His black hair and red eyes, and even his appearance, remained the same.

Yet somehow, the red eyes didn’t feel ominous. There was no dampness. Only an infinite tranquility that seemed to uplift anyone who looked upon it.

Yuna cautiously asked.

“⋯⋯Who, who are you?”

“My name is ‘Promise.’ To me, you are an acquaintance, but for you, I might be a first encounter⋯⋯ Nice to meet you. Regarding the question you asked, I think it would be quicker to introduce myself like this.”

The boy answered calmly.

“I am his ‘Module.’ You can think of me as a clone.”

——–

Northern region, the mansion of the Julius Grand Duke.

“⋯⋯How did you get in here?”

“Ahaha, um⋯⋯ I can only say it was by chance. I’m called ‘Heart,’ do you perhaps need a servant?”

Mental care and counseling module. Self-proclaimed ‘Heart.’

———————–

Somewhere in the Great Forest.

“Was I blown away by the goddess? What happened, crazy wizard? And what’s with that appearance?”

“Heh heh⋯⋯ Well, I find it quite interesting, Bennett. I think it will take some time to answer that. I don’t like to speak uncertain guesses.”

“⋯⋯It’s become about three times more suspicious. Has it really gone off the rails now?”

Suspicion and performance module.

———————–

Imperial capital Crown Hall, a famous dessert café.

“Am I seeing things right now⋯⋯ Kim Lulu, can you also see that—”

——–

Let me know if you need any further assistance!

“Munggae!!”

“Uh, um… Ba, nice to meet you! Have you been doing well?”

Security and apprehension module. Alias: Munggae.

———————–

And, on a certain path.

“…Which is the closest magic tower from here?”

“The Red Tower.”

“Could I possibly hitch a ride? I was originally a great magician, but I’m not feeling well today, so my magic isn’t working properly…?”

Having lost his clones across the continent after about 30 minutes, his own specs had significantly diminished.

Crash landing near the Red Tower.